Learning to Walk Again

by S. L. Kassidy

  “You seem to really like her. Are you having instrument envy?” Nicole teased, even though her skin prickled a bit. It was odd to have Danny openly talk about a woman to her. It’d take some getting used to.

  Danny laughed. “I couldn’t match her with the violin, even before my hand. And this says a lot about her, because I used to be awesome with my violin. She’d smoke me like a cheap cigarette. I think she’s going to be the thing that makes this special.”

  “I think you’re going to be the thing to make this special. Have you seen how enthused you are about this?”

  Danny tittered, like a little girl with a new toy. Nicole left it alone, figuring Danny was trying to play it cool. Too bad the giggling blew it. However, Danny wanted to play her mood was fine with Nicole, as long as she was happy with her work.

  What Nicole wasn’t fine with was Danny trying to dive right into the household chores as soon as they came in. She didn’t want Danny to burn herself out trying to be a housewife and breadwinner. It was possible, but it wasn’t necessary. Besides, they were a team.

  “Danny, you don’t have to do that,” Nicole said as Danny went to the vacuum.

  “Can’t let Haydn’s hair build up. Besides, it’s been a while since the floor got cleaned.” Danny didn’t turn the vacuum on, but she was in prime position to get started.

  Nicole folded her arms across her chest. “And let me guess, after that, you’ll go make dinner?”

  Danny shrugged. “Why shouldn’t I?”

  “Because we’re partners. We can do things together.”

  Danny’s shoulders dropped, but she nodded. The agreement didn’t stop her from turning on the vacuum. Nicole sighed and rubbed her chin. She sorted through the mail and picked up a few of Haydn’s things while he tried to take them from her. She turned back to Danny once the vacuum powered down.

  “Danny, let me handle dinner. Take Haydn out,” Nicole insisted as Danny rushed into the kitchen. She had allowed Danny to handle breakfast that morning without making a fuss because she suspected Danny needed bits of her routine, but she refused to let Danny try to be everything.

  “I’ve got it.”

  “Love.” Nicole wrapped her hands around Danny’s waist and snuggled her shoulder. “You don’t have to do this. You’re not meant to run yourself into the ground for me.”

  Danny sighed. “I like taking care of you.”

  “I’m not going to leave you because you don’t make dinner or clean the house. Before you came along, I handled every meal, cleaned every room, did all the laundry, and that was for someone who was ungrateful. You had breakfast. Let me do this. Let’s be a team.” She’d love the chance to do for Danny what she had done for too many unappreciative lovers.

  Danny put her hands on Nicole’s hands and lightly caressed her skin. She gnawed at her bottom lip. “I don’t want this to turn into your other relationships.”

  Nicole laughed. “The fact that you want that means it won’t happen, but there’s a simple solution.”

  “Which is?”

  “Don’t let it happen. You don’t make demands of me, love. We’re arguing over who’s going to make dinner right now.” It seemed silly to Nicole. How could I be worried over us? She wants us to work just as much as I do.

  “Not arguing,” Danny grumbled.

  “Okay, no, we’re not, but it’s on its way. You think I’ve had this argument before? No. No one ever volunteered to make dinner for me after a long day at work for both of us. How about we make a deal?” She’d be able to negotiate something they could both live with and help them ease into this new phase.

  “A deal?”

  “Neither of us tries to do everything. We clean together. Walk Haydn together when we can. One makes breakfast and the other makes dinner.” Nicole suspected dinner would become her meal. Danny always woke up before her, and she doubted she’d ever be able to work herself into the habit of getting up before Danny.

  Silence reigned supreme. Nicole wasn’t sure what she’d do if Danny turned it down. Haydn rushed in, the noise of his paws on the tile cut through the quiet. He nudged them both with his nose before brushing his muzzle against Danny’s hand.

  “Fine. I’ll take this little brat for his walk,” Danny said, rubbing Haydn’s head.

  Nicole laughed and released Danny. She’d have to remember to give Haydn a treat later for his help. He was such a good pup.

  Chapter Ten

  DANE LISTENED TO LENNOX Peterson strumming his guitar. He was a friend of Evie’s, but Dane was familiar with him to a degree. She’d seen him play a couple of times. She mentioned his name to Crow, who had seen him almost a dozen times and couldn’t say enough good things about him. He was worth the hype. She felt damned lucky he wanted a job.

  “I’m going to have you represent the villain,” Dane said, moving to make a note in her portfolio sitting on the small desk in the orchestra room. Before, it was something she considered, but now she was certain the guitar worked for the villain. The way his thick fingers glided along the strings of his guitar, he had to be someone powerful in the story. The modern sound of the electric guitar with the classical notes of the violin for the paladin would be a good mix.

  “You mean Lord Vadar?” Lennox smirked, pushing long, dark dreadlocks out of his face. He dropped into a nearby seat, which groaned a little, and secured his guitar next to him.

  Dane chuckled. “I see you’ve read the whole script.”

  “I’ve read some of it. Evie showed it to me and explained what was going on before she got me to get off my butt and come play for you. I don’t get it. Is every hero story that similar or is this guy as much of a tool as he comes across?” Lennox wiggled his eyebrows as he crossed one leg over the other and held his ankle. Evie probably told him about Andrew as well.

  “I don’t think it’s that bad,” Evie replied from across the room. Her fingers tapped at her keyboard, but with the power off, no sound came from her beyond the click of the keys.

  “No, it’s worse,” Samiyah said. Pedro guffawed and then a maroon blush painted his cheeks. He tried to hide behind his sax.

  “Forget that crap. Let’s take it back to the beginning. Why should this newbie get the part of the villain?” Dougie glared at the group with hard green eyes. “I’m going to be putting in three times as much work as he is. I should at least get a bigger part.”

  “Or to avoid putting too much on your shoulders, we let Lennox do his thing. It’ll be a good contrast to Samiyah’s hero violin.” Dane liked the idea of the two biggest roles going to similar instruments. People would feel contrasting emotions through strings, which she hoped would intensify the show and maybe make them think a little when it was over. She also wanted to get people to root for the instrument they usually wouldn’t consider with a guitar in the mix.

  “Wait, she’s getting the hero? The hell?” Dougie jabbed his thumb toward Samiyah.

  A scowl settled on Samiyah’s umber face, and she placed a hand on her side, cocking her hip out. “And why shouldn’t I play the hero? I could play you into the ground right now.”

  “I’d destroy you.” Dougie held his chin up high.

  Before she could stop herself, Dane scoffed, but thankfully everyone else did, too. She had to step in and do something. The last thing she needed was infighting. They didn’t have time for that. They needed to start practicing together to make sure they had the best sound possible on opening night.

  “All right. I’ve already made my decision. Samiyah is the hero. Lennox is the villain. Pedro, sidekick,” Dane said. Pedro smiled, as if he liked that role. To each his own.

  “You better not make me the freaking damsel in distress.” Dougie gnashed his teeth.

  “Well, I want Evie to be the dragon.” Dane motioned to the keyboard.

  Evie grinned. “I’d make an awesome dragon.” Modesty didn’t seem to be a thing amongst any of them.

  “No! No way am I going to be the damsel,” Dougie huffed, holding his arms acro
ss his chest.

  “The fact that there is a damsel in distress is nuts. Most people would’ve at least made her a sassy princess or something. I mean, who the hell makes a traditional princess now?” Lennox scratched his forehead.

  “I think that’s what he’s going for, this classical fairytale feel,” Evie said.

  “I guess that explains why you like it,” Lennox replied. Evie stuck her tongue out at him. He gave her the finger, and they both laughed.

  “No, he does hit the classical fairytale, I’ll give him that,” Dane said. It wasn’t a horrible thing. It just wasn’t terribly original either. The story was beyond generic and bordered on boring, except there was magic, sword fights, and dragons. Kids would probably be engaged. But, it wasn’t sold as a children’s show, and she didn’t want to bad mouth the play to the orchestra. Maybe Andrew would change things during rewrites or once he had every character cast, which could impact the music. She’d need to keep an eye on that. “Anyway, Dougie, someone has to play for the princess and that’s you.”

  “Why don’t you get your stupid drummer who hasn’t bothered to show up be the princess?” Dougie’s face turned bright red.

  “Because I’m musical director,” Dane replied. And who the hell ever heard of a drum playing a princess?

  “Well, how about I go speak with the actual director?” Dougie stormed off before Dane could retort. She could hear him stomping all the way down the long hallway to the stage.

  “What a baby.” Lennox chuckled and shook his head, his long locks slapping him in the face thanks to the overly exaggerated gesture.

  “You probably should’ve fired him when you had the chance,” Pedro said to Dane.

  Dane shook her head, even though she could still fire him. “Nah. He’s good at those pipes. Attitude is shit, though.” She saw a lot of headaches and temper tantrums in the future.

  “Unfortunately, he has a point. Where’s your drummer?” Evie asked.

  Sighing, Dane waved the question off. “He’ll be late every day. I don’t think he’s ever been on time for anything in his life, even his birth. He always says he was born a week past due and even then it took him two more days to come out. He’s the type who’ll be late to his own funeral.”

  “Well, that won’t be good for when the show starts,” Samiyah replied.

  “Of course not, which is why we will all lie to him about when anything starts. It’s best to tell him ninety minutes earlier. He’ll show up on time if we do that,” Dane said, and she was dead serious. She’d seen the strategy work many times. She used it to get him to come in today. She should’ve gone with two hours.

  They nodded. One of the things Dane liked about dealing with artists was that they expected people to be eccentric. They accepted this. It also seemed like they spoke up the drummer. Ryan Garner wandered in, looking like he just woke up, complete with a wrinkled plain t-shirt and wild, short brown hair.

  “Wow, Ryan, only two hours later than I need you,” Dane said. She wouldn’t care if he sounded good and got along with the orchestra.

  With a yawn, Ryan scratched the top of his head, mussing his wavy brown hair more. “I had to find someone to drive over my kit. Took forever. How the hell do you guys not have a drum set here?”

  That was something Dane wondered herself, especially considering the tuba. “I don’t know. I didn’t make the theater or fill it with junk.” She drew her eyebrows in close together as she realized his whole statement. “Why don’t you drive yet?” She figured by now he’d have his act somewhat together.

  “I dunno. Why don’t you drive yet?” he countered seriously, as she should have her act together by now, too.

  She rolled her eyes. “Touché.”

  “Anyway, I need help setting the kit up.”

  Groaning, Dane shook her head. Her knee throbbed at the thought of moving stuff. Just when walking had become comfortable, she suddenly had to carry stuff. She and the others went to help Ryan get his kit from the back of a friend’s van. Along the way, the trumpeter she hired showed up and lent a hand. I love how no one is on time. Making me look real good here. They finished in time for Andrew to get in her face right outside the band room. Dane could feel the makings of a headache thumping right between her eyes.

  “What sort of monkey show are you running back here? Musicians shouldn’t be complaining to me about your poor management,” Andrew said, glaring at her. Good thing he couldn’t shoot lasers from his eyes or he’d have burned her to crisp.

  Sighing, Dane forced herself not to roll her eyes or strangle Andrew with his ‘fashionable’ scarf. “I’ve got things coming together. Dougie’s just being a baby and seems to think you’re going to help him. You don’t have to white knight for him and run to his rescue.”

  He growled. “I’m not running to anyone’s rescue. I don’t need your people running to me when I’ve got more important things to do. Now, I’m here to tell you to get your shit together.”

  “My shit is together. Don’t entertain the musicians if you don’t want to bother with the music.” It seemed simple enough to Dane. If an actor came to her about something, she’d point them right to Andrew, unless it had to do with music.

  Andrew’s fiery eyes narrowed as he pointed a thick finger at her. “Keep your damned musicians in here.”

  “Dougie, you hear that? Stop being a baby. What I say goes,” Dane called to him hiding at the end of the hall.

  Andrew’s eyes seemed to ignite with even more fury. His nostrils flared. “What you say most certainly doesn’t go. This is my show.” He patted himself in the chest. Stupid declarations like that would be the reason Dougie kept bothering him about the music he didn’t care about.

  Dane sighed. “And my music. Either I’m in charge of the music or you are. Make up your mind.”

  “I’m in charge of everything,” Andrew replied, throwing his hands up in a dramatic fashion.

  “Okay. You’re in charge of everything. Good?” Dane hoped this got him to go away. She wanted to get a feel for this blended band. She didn’t need Andrew in her face about anything. It was time to make some music, damn it.

  Andrew snorted. He stormed out of the room, and Dougie made his way back inside with his head hung low. Dane ignored them and turned her attention back to the rest of the group.

  “All right, the band’s altogether.” She glanced over at the trumpeter in the corner. Greg Little seemed shy, but he played a mean trumpet. “Greg, I need you here on time from now on.”

  Greg’s brown eyes went wide and nodded more than necessary. He bowed to her a little. “I know. I’ve never taken the train here before and got lost several times. I called, but no one picked up.” His voice was small and he stared at the floor. Pedro eased over next to him. Pedro would be kind to him and help him along the way through these massive, often loud personalities.

  “Well, at least you tried.” Dane sighed.

  “Now, what, boss?” Lennox asked.

  “Now, we play together and see what happens.” Dane already had ideas now that she had assigned each character an instrument, but they would also need music for scenes. Things were coming along nicely, despite the few bumps in the road.

  ***

  Nicole sat at her desk at work. She had barely been at work an hour and had checked her class schedule four times, wondering if there was a way for her to change it. She worried about seeing Haydn and Danny getting home. But, she needed these specific courses for her thesis and to graduate. There was no way around it. She sighed while her heart clenched. She massaged the center of her chest with two fingers.

  “I shouldn’t worry. This is it. I finish this, and I have my degree. I don’t need to be attached Danny every moment of the day,” Nicole told herself, as if saying it aloud would make her believe it. Her stomach trembled, but she knew that was true. She needed to keep it together.

  It was unhealthy to want to be around Danny all the time. Besides, they had both worried about changing and agreed they’d b
e fine. She knew this was true, too, but her body didn’t want to believe it. Anxiety danced down her every nerve and gnawed at every bit of her. She took a breath, refusing to let the anxiety turn into a tornado and rip her apart.

  Taking a deep breath and holding it, Nicole turned her attention back to her work. Still, she thought of Danny. She hadn’t gotten a phone call yet. Glancing at her clock, it was early. Well, it was still morning anyway. Maybe Danny would call her after lunch.

  “Maybe I am too dependent on her,” Nicole muttered, shaking her head.

  “No, she just brightens your day,” Mina said, stepping into the office.

  Nicole snorted and rolled her eyes. “You don’t even know who I’m talking about.”

  Mina turned her mouth up to one side. “You’re kidding, right? You’re in here moping and sighing over being too dependent on someone. If you’re not talking about Danny, I’m going to tell her you’re cheating on her with another housewife.”

  Nicole chuckled. “She’s not a housewife anymore. She’s got a job.”

  “Impressive,” Mina said, as if she didn’t know Danny had a job, even though Nicole made sure to tell everyone. A proud smile settled on Mina’s face. “How is that working for her?”

  “She seems to enjoy it. The director of the play is giving her a bit of a hard time, but other than that, she’s happy to be making music again.”

  With a nod, Mina grinned. “I can’t wait to see this thing.”

  “The script is a little cheesy, but I think Danny’s going to knock the music out of the park. I’m sure she’ll be happy when we’re all there to hear it.”

  “Yes, so you should let her work and not worry about it.”

  “I know.” Nicole sighed to the point where her shoulders dropped. “I’ve gotten used to her calling. It seems weird for her not to reach out. I mean, even if she didn’t call, I could call the house. Now, I don’t know what to do.”

  Mina’s forehead wrinkled. “Wait, she didn’t give you the number to the theater?”